Linguistics
News and Events
The Department of Linguistics will be operating remotely, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. during summer 2026. In-person and remote advising options are available by appointment.
There are many things Sara Helms can assist you with by phone or email. Sara can help with advising, declaring a major or minor, or completing a degree evaluation electronically.
For questions about our program, classes, registration, the major or minor requirements, general information about linguistics, or to make an in-person advising appointment, please contact the the Department Manager Sara Helms by email (preferred), Sara.Helms@wwu.edu, or by phone, 360-650-3914.
Please see our Faculty and Staff page for office hours and contact information.
New Linguistics and English - MLE Major
Western’s Department of Linguistics is launching a new bachelor’s degree major, Linguistics and English – Multilingual Education, designed for students who hope to become teachers.
Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Linguistics
In our courses here at Western, we are interested in the ways in which the study of language can provide the tools, the analytical skills, and the historical and cultural context to better understand the ways in which language is used to separate, segregate, and discriminate.
Read our Racial Justice Statement
It’s important to us that our department is not only a welcoming place for everyone, intolerant of discrimination, but that we are actively working to dismantle power structures that serve to discriminate against underrepresented populations.
Welcome Incoming Students!
Western's Department of Linguistics has a cohort of about 170 students, and an eager and active Associated Students Linguistics Club. Faculty from several departments contribute to our department, including from Modern and Classical Languages, Anthropology, and Computer Science.
We lead students not only to find interesting and engaging careers, but also to give back to their communities in important ways. Our alumni are teaching, creating, writing, analyzing, and serving in a vast array of careers and civic engagement.
“Linguistics has helped me to approach language scientifically, to appreciate the beauty of language, and to feel constantly surrounded by ambient language data that always leaves me with interesting questions to think about.”
Student Spotlight
We want to hear from you. If you have news to share, email us at linguistics@wwu.edu or call us at 360-650-3914.
2025-2026 Department of Linguistics Outstanding Graduating Senior
Lucy Wells is an outstanding researcher, collaborator, organizer, presenter, and a very engaged member of our linguistic community. Lucy is a Linguistics and Spanish double major with a Language and Cognition minor. She has been an active member of the Documentation, Analysis, and Revitalization in Linguistics (DARLing) lab with Dr. Maura O’Leary, working on language learning materials for the Hän language. She is also an active member and leader within the Language Learning Research Group (LLRG) with Dr. Jordan Sandoval and Dr. Kirsten Drickey. She was awarded a WWU Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities grant to present joint work on phonological training and linguistic confidence among Spanish-language learners at the Washington Association for Language Teaching (WAFLT) conference at Central Washington University in March 2026. Faculty comment on her all-around excellentness, her active participation and consistent engagement inside—and outside—the classroom, and her intentional commitment to learning. Lucy goes above and beyond not just for the grade, but to expand and grow her own knowledge and self; she takes intellectual initiative to get at answers to questions and seeks resources to further her own knowledge. Lucy is also involved in all aspects of the department - attending events and running the Linguistics Club. She’s also an amazing singer and can sing a mean Irish sean-nós!
Lucy Wells2025-2026 Department of Linguistics Outstanding Graduating Senior
2025-2026 Exceptional Student in Spanish Linguistics Awardee
Wren Mason-Todd is an outstanding researcher, collaborator, organizer, presenter, and a very engaged member of our linguistics community. Wren is a Linguistics and Spanish double major; she is an active member of Language Learning Research Group headed up by Dr. Jordan Sandoval and Dr. Kirsten Drickey. Wren was awarded a WWU Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities grant to interview WWU Spanish students in part to identify how linguistics knowledge impacts language learning experiences. Wren then presented joint work on phonological training and linguistic confidence among Spanish-language learners at the Washington Association for Language Teaching (WAFLT) conference at Central Washington University in March 2026. Faculty comments about Wren include: “top student”, “a dream to have in class,” “always offers thoughtful contributions in discussions,” “goes above and beyond.” Wren was selected as a Presidential Scholar, a university award that honors graduates for their exceptional scholarship and service to the university and community. Wren was admitted into the Language Studies MA program at the University of Oregon, but has opted for the prestigious Fulbright Award. Wren will be moving to Spain the fall to teach in the Galicia region.
Wren Mason-Todd2025-2026 Exceptional Student in Spanish Linguistics Awardee
2026-2027 Linguistics Scholarship Awardees
Linguistics Students Scholarships
- Mariah Brooks
- Jessica Morgan
- Megan Kipp
- Atlas Hovdesven
- Katelyn Widell
- Vera Livingston
- Owen Thomas
Anne Lobeck Linguistics Scholarship
- Conor Johnson
Denham Family Linguistics Scholarship
- Abraham Robles
Shaw Gynan Memorial Scholarship
- Lena Snyder
Faculty Spotlight
R. Mata featured in Atlas Obscura
"There’s No Right Way to Say ‘Taco’," by Dan Nosowitz, featuring WWU Linguistics Professor R. Mata, explores how the pronunciation of "taco" in English, diverging from its original Spanish pronunciation, reflects broader linguistic phenomena. It delves into how people adapt foreign words to their native tongue and what these adaptations reveal about cultural identity and how individuals wish to be perceived.
One Quick Question
Dr. Kristin Denham answers the question, "Generation Alpha's slang is in the news lately; is it a unique phenomenon or is there a pattern in how each generation forms its own slang?"
Dr. Kristin Denham
Professor Kristin Denham, Department of Linguistics, has been inducted into the 2024 class of Fellows of the Linguistics Society of America.
About the Linguistics Department
Linguistics is the scientific study of language, focusing on investigating the properties of individual languages as well as the characteristics of language as a whole. Linguists are interested in a wide range of questions about language: questions like what language is made of (its internal grammar), how language is processed and produced, how people use language in societies, how children and adults acquire language, and how languages change over time. The study of linguistics connects to the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences and complements interests in fields such as Anthropology, Computer Science, Communication Sciences and Disorders, Neuroscience, Sociology, Psychology, Biology, Philosophy, English, World Languages, and Education.
Contact Information
Mailing Address
Linguistics Department
Western Washington University
516 High Street, MS 9190
Bellingham, WA 98225
Office
Bond Hall 418
Phone: 360-650-3914
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